Updated: The Cook's Illustrated Recipe Index


 
Chris Allingham

Chris Allingham

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Staff member
Update 11/9/24: Thanks to Rafael Sanchez for adding recipes from July 2024 to December 2024.
Update 4/5/24: Added recipes from January 2024 to June 2024.
Update 11/3/23: Added recipes from January 2023 to December 2023.
Update 11/16/22: Added recipes from September 2022 to December 2022
Update 7/12/22: Added recipes from March 2022 to July 2022.
Update 2/3/22: Added recipes from March 2021 to January 2022.
Update 5/6/21: Thanks to member @Dan T Eugene for adding recipes from the 1993 charter issue and all of the 1993 issues.

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The Cook's Illustrated Magazine Recipe Index
https://tvwbb.com/docs/cooks-Illustrated-index-1993-2024.xlsx

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In this day and age when everything is found using a Google search, the usefulness of an recipe index spreadsheet like this one may not be obvious. But I think it's pretty cool, and so much effort has gone into the creation and maintenance of it over the years that I want to see it carry on.

This Excel spreadsheet originated at a recipe website called Holly's House of Ham and Cheese operated by Holly Hinman. Sadly, that website no longer exists.

The last update to Holly's recipe index spreadsheet was in 2014. I spent a few days bringing the spreadsheet up to date through Jan/Feb 2019 and sent the revision to Holly's email address. I got no response. So I decided to host a copy here so that people can get the updated version.

To memorialize Holly's original efforts, here's a screenshot of her site including her comments about the origin of the recipe index.

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This represents a lot of work for several people. Not being a subscriber to Cook's Illustrated I have not found these recipes on their website. Is there a place on the internet that has these recipes and tutorials?
 
Allen Bales said:
This represents a lot of work for several people. Not being a subscriber to Cook's Illustrated I have not found these recipes on their website. Is there a place on the internet that has these recipes and tutorials?
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It's possible that some of these recipes have been published by fans, but I don't think there's a coordinated effort by anyone to publish all of them. I don't know the extent to which CI has gone back and published early recipes on their subscription website.
 
Lori B said:
I became a member of this forum for the sole reason of thanking you for your efforts on the Cook's Illustrated index. The spreadsheet is priceless! Thanks!
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Same here! The spreadsheet is how I discovered this site, but I'm finding so much more to love about it. Thanks, Holly, for initiating the project. And a big thanks to Chris for the huge commitment to update it.
 
I just wanted to say how much I appreciate this spreadsheet. I have subscribed to Cooks Illustrated for about 20 years and have found it increasingly difficult to find recipes. This index is a real time saver!! It's unfortunate that Cooks doesn't provide either an index to buy or, at least, stop obscuring date the recipe was published.

I have started an index for Cooks Country. Sorry to say I have only completed entering the most recent month as I never had the idea until I saw this spreadsheet. I am happy to share if anyone is interested.

Thank-you so much for all your hard work!!!
 
Lori B said:
I became a member of this forum for the sole reason of thanking you for your efforts on the Cook's Illustrated index. The spreadsheet is priceless! Thanks!
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Me too Lori B! It is an unbelievable resource!! In fact, I am so thankful I am starting an index for Cooks Country!! I'm working backwards from the most recent issue.
 
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On July 4, I made another attempt to reach Holly Hinman and she replied today! She says she doesn't check the email acct associated with the index webpage very often and that her PC is out for repair right now. We'll see if we can get the updated file onto her webpage soon.
 
Chris Allingham said:
Peg, how far back do your Cook's Country issues go? Maybe we could get a CC index online, too.
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Mine go back to 2007. I started adding onto google sheets but google sheets doesn't allow me to use the search filter and many other things that make the excel spreadsheet so handy for the index. Instead I am just putting them on an excel spreadsheet. I've only added a few and I was just sitting down to add a couple more. I'm kind of going backwards from the most recent and forwards from the first issue I have - which is December-January 2007. Right now I am just using my excel application on the imac. I can't figure out how to attach it on here as every time I try to attach it won't let me. It wants a different file type - not the xlxs version I have and won't even take the old xls version.

I have just added this link - not sure if it will work.

docs.google.com

Cooks Country Index 2006 - 2020

docs.google.com docs.google.com
 
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Yes, as things are configured now, only admins can upload .xls or .xlsx formats. I think there are some security reasons for that.

I've been a subscriber to CC since Day One, but I didn't keep the early editions. Mine only go back to 2014.
 
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Chris Allingham said:
Yes, as things are configured now, only admins can upload .xls or .xlsx formats. I think there are some security reasons for that.

I've been a subscriber to CC since Day One, but I didn't keep the early editions. Mine only go back to 2014.
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I have added a link to the google sheets. Definitely work in progress.
 
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Chris Allingham said:
For anyone interested, I've updated this spreadsheet through the May/June 2020 issue of Cook's Illustrated magazine.
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Thanks very much for this. Even though I have all the magazines since 1994, I have been subscribing to the website to use it as an index. But I just found out they are raising the website subscription to $70/year! Because of this very useful spreadsheet, I can cancel my website subscription. Thanks again.
 
There's a nifty website called "Eat Your Books" (http://www.eatyourbooks.com) that has a complete index of Cooks Illustrated and Cooks Country magazines, plus the Americas Test Kitchen books. It's a pay site, I think it's about $30/year. It also indexes thousands of cookbooks and cooking blogs. The recipes are searchable by ingredient, author, book title, and recipe name.
Note that it is only an index, it does not have the actual recipes (although it does have links to many recipes that are available online.)
 
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